


To Hug, or Not to Hug

by FleetofShippyShips



Series: Otayuri Drabbles, Ficlets and Oneshots [2]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Fluff, Hugs, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 03:48:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11797752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleetofShippyShips/pseuds/FleetofShippyShips
Summary: When all the skaters gather in the hotel lobby to leave after the final, Yuri is faced with a part of friendship he's not prepared for. Saying goodbye.





	To Hug, or Not to Hug

Yuri kicked the floor again, watching Otabek from the corner of his eye. JJ had cornered him as soon as he’d entered the hotel lobby. Jerk. Anyone could tell Otabek didn’t want to talk to him. He wasn’t even looking at him. He was looking around the lobby at all the skaters that were checking out. It was clear he wasn’t interested.

As always, there mere sight of that stuck up idiot JJ made Yuri’s blood boil. Even the way he’d congratulated Yuri on his gold medal had been patronising and irritating. He still couldn’t believe that the jerk had the nerve to act like he was friends with everyone.

A shadow fell over Yuri, and then a finger prodded at his cheek.

“You know, it’s very unattractive to glare like that all the time. You’ll ruin your face with lines.”

Yuri slapped Viktor’s hand away. “Go bother the pig, old man.”

Yuuri was gesturing wildly with Phichit over by the doors, as the latter said goodbye. In fact, there was a lot of that going on. Looking around, most of the skaters were hugging each other and crying. It turned Yuri’s stomach.

He glanced over at Otabek and JJ again.  He didn’t want to fly back to Russia. He wanted to spend more time with Otabek. Even if he still didn’t know what to do with himself half the time, he hadn’t had so much fun with another person in a while. Nor had he met someone so interesting.

“You’re not a very gracious winner, Yurio,” Viktor said, poking at his cheek again. “Smile. You beat my record, and you beat Yuuri. If—”

“Cut it out!” Yuri snapped, slapping his hand again. “Don’t you have some grovelling to do? Yakov still hasn’t agreed to coach you again! Go talk to him, or annoy someone else.”

Viktor made a dismissive sound, his eyes narrowing. “What’s really bothering you?” he asked, before looking around.

Too late, Yuri looked away from JJ and Otabek.

JJ was now hugging Otabek, and even though Otabek wasn’t responding, it made Yuri’s hands twitch with the urge to hit the jerk.

“Oooh, I see,” Viktor said, his tone smug. “You made a friend, and now you have to go back to different countries.”

“Piss off!”

Viktor laughed, and gave his shoulder a pat. “Don’t worry,” he said, his tone warm. “It gets easier, the time between seeing long distance friends.”

Yuri grit his teeth, looking anywhere but at Viktor or Otabek. He hadn’t had this problem before. His roaming gaze fell on Chris, who was watching them with an amused expression.

“Chris is making eyes at you, go make him stop. It’s hideous,” he spat.

“Hm?” Viktor turned, his face lighting up as Chris blew him a kiss.  “Fine. I’ll leave you alone until you’re ready to leave. Do yourself a favour, make sure you say a decent goodbye. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

Yuri watched him walk away, seething. His flight to Russia, and Viktor and Yuuri’s flight to Japan were at the same time. He already knew he would have to suffer through the two of them at the airport, even though he’d be seeing Viktor only a week after that, when he returned to Russia.

When he turned, Otabek was standing in near him. He tilted his head to the side as he swept his gaze over Yuri.

“Goodbyes are a pain, aren’t they?”

Yuri felt his face warm up. Even though it was nothing, and unplanned, he still found his mind turning to the way Otabek had torn his glove off with his teeth. He could never have thought of something so cool with so little time. He’d tried to say so, afterwards, but he’d come off sounding dismissive instead. He still wanted to fix that, but he’d only sound more stupid, to bring it up again.

“The worst. Everyone crying like they’ll never see each other again,” he said, gesturing at Mila and Sara looking disgustingly teary eyed, over near an equally teary looking Michele and Emil.

“Europeans is not so far away,” Otabek said, looking at them with that bland, expressionless look of his.

Yuri looked away. He’d already spent the night thinking far too long about the next time he’d see Otabek. It wouldn’t be until Worlds in March. So many months away. If they both qualified.

“Yeah,” Yuri muttered, kicking the floor again angrily. What did those idiots have to cry about? “Not as far away as Worlds.”

Before Yuri could comprehend what had happened, there were arms around him, and his face was pressed into Otabek’s shoulder. As soon as he realised what had happened, he froze. Viktor and Mila hugged him all the time, but he usually just pushed them away. His hands twitched, and he felt his face heat up. He didn’t want to push Otabek away. He wanted to grab onto him and not let go. He smelled like leather and coffee, and it made Yuri remember the night he’d sneaked into the club to watch him DJ, and the time they’d spent together afterwards.

Abruptly, before he even had time to do anything, Otabek pulled back. He looked away, and his expression was strained.

“Sorry,” he muttered. “Should have asked.”

Yuri’s face was hot, and he knew he’d be pink. Damn pale skin. If Viktor or Mila saw him, he’d never hear the end of it.

“That’s right, jerk!” he snapped, looking around furtively. Viktor was posing for a selfie with Yuuri and Phichit, and hadn’t noticed. He felt himself calm down a bit, until his own words registered with him.

Otabek looked awkward, and Yuri wanted to hit him for taking his words so seriously. Viktor never cared when he said those things to him. Even Yuuri had stopped taking him seriously.

Glancing around again, he wished his face would cool down. Otabek looked at him again. He was biting his lip. Yuri huffed, and before he could think better of it, held his arms out, and looked to the side.

He didn’t look away fast enough. He caught sight of Otabek’s eyes widening, and then a smug smile.

“Don’t take all day, I have other things to do!” he snapped, embarrassed by the fact he wanted to hug him at all, let alone the fact he was showing it.

Otabek didn’t say anything, but Yuri was sure he heard a snicker, as he felt arms circle him again. This time, he returned it, gripping the back of Otabek’s jacket lightly. No one had asked to be his friend before Otabek, and now, before he even got a chance to be his friend, they were going their separate ways. It wasn’t fair.

“I’m glad I got to see you again, Yuri.”

Yuri closed his eyes, and gripped Otabek’s jacket a little tighter. Not many people ever said that to him. He didn’t really have any friends. Rinkmates didn’t count. That was something hunting down Otabek that night had taught him. He’d never realised he was so lacking there, until he’d had to talk to the other skaters, and hadn’t known what to say.

“Don’t go crying or anything. I’ll be too embarrassed to talk to you at Worlds.”

Otabek laughed, as he pulled back, and Yuri reluctantly let him go.

“Don’t be silly, Yura,” he said. Yuri knew he should bristle at the pet name, and yet… That’s what friends did, wasn’t it? Give each other nicknames? He could feel his cheeks warming again, and cursed his pale skin. “I’m going to come watch you at Europeans.”

“Really?” Yuri forgot to worry about how eager he sounded. “You’d do that?”

“Of course. We’re friends, aren’t we?” There was slight smirk to his lips, and Yuri was sure he was mocking him now for questioning it. For not thinking he might do that.

He was going to have to give Otabek a nickname too. And watch him at Four Continents if he qualified. He didn’t want to screw this up. Yakov wouldn’t like him flying off to watch him. Not that Yuri cared. Yakov hadn’t been able to stop him from going to Japan, there was no way he’d get him to miss Four Continents. Not unless he had a competition himself. He hadn’t checked the dates yet. Yakov dealt with that boring stuff.

“Then what was the point of that hug?” Yuri sneered, still failing to stop his face from flushing. “Europeans is not far away at all.”

“If you don’t like hugs, just think of it like this,” Otabek said, the smirk now evident, as he leaned closer, and lowered his voice. “JJ will be jealous I hugged you, twice, but didn’t hug him back.”

Yuri looked past him. JJ was on his phone, but then he glanced up. He noticed Yuri looking at him, and then quickly looked  back down at his phone, before wandering off across the lobby towards the exit, where Yuuri, Viktor, and Phichit were still looking stupid as they took selfies.

“Why didn’t you hug him back?” Yuri asked, raising an eyebrow, but feeling pleased to know JJ would be annoyed. Nothing pleased him more. Although, he was surprised the jerk didn’t just walk over and ruin their goodbye, if that was the case.

“I made the mistake of hugging him back once when we were rinkmates,” Otabek said, shaking his head. “He’s not so bad, but let him hug you once, and he’ll do it every time he sees you. You have to keep him in check.”

Yuri snorted. “Idiot.”

Otabek shrugged, and then looked at his phone. “My taxi will be here soon.”

Yuri’s stomach dropped. Irrationally, he wanted to hug him again. Could he? What was the limit of hugs between friends? Going by Viktor, there was no limit. But that was Viktor, and often, that was Viktor with Yuuri…

“Don’t forget, you promised to send me those mixes you made when you get home!” he said instead, crossing his arms. He’d need some good music to deal with Viktor in the short time he’d be in Russia without Yuuri. He cringed every time he thought ahead to what practise would be like, while Viktor pined like a loser.

“Don’t forget you promised me pictures of Potya as a kitten.” Otabek folded his arms, and Yuri scowled, knowing he was being mocked by the way Otabek’s lips twitched.

“Just wait,” he promised. “You don’t know great cats until you’ve seen Potya!”

Otabek’s smirk turned into a grin. “Can’t wait.”

 

* * *

 

 **Bonus:**  Later at the airport

 

Yuuri was laughing, and it made Yuri want to hit him. Viktor was holding him too tight, and if he ruffled his hair one more time he was going to—

“Why won’t you hug me back? You hugged Otabek! Twice!” Viktor whined.

Yuri felt his face heat up. How did he even know? He hadn’t been looking...

 _JJ_.

That bastard.


End file.
